Summer of Celebrations

Soon you will be seeing lots of stars and stripes! You may notice people dressed in red, white, and blue. That’s because three big patriotic holidays are coming up. They are Memorial Day, Flag Day, and the Fourth of July. These holidays celebrate our country, the United States of America.

Key Word:patriotic (pay-tree-ah-tik) When you feel patriotic, you feel proud of your country

Memorial DayDate: May 29

Why We Celebrate: On Memorial Day, we remember people from our country’s armed forces who fought in wars. The armed forces are people who keep our country safe, such as soldiers and sailors.

How We Celebrate: Children get the day off from school, and many adults get the day off from work. They can go to parades! Soldiers and sailors march in the parades. Marching bands play music.

Flag DayDate: June 14

Why We Celebrate: Flag Day is a holiday that celebrates our country’s flag. The American flag stands for all the people of our country and the freedoms that we care about.

How We Celebrate: Flags are everywhere on this day! Children learn about our flag in school. People hang flags on buildings and homes.

Look around your neighborhood on June 14. How many flags do you see?

Our Flag

The United States of America has 50 states.Our flag has 50 stars. Each star stands for one of the 50 states.

The Fourth of July (Independence Day)Date: July 4, of course!

Why We Celebrate: The Fourth of July is our country’s birthday! A long time ago, the American people were ruled by another country called England. On July 4, 1776, our country’s leaders decided that England would not rule America anymore. The United States would be an independent, or free, country.

How We Celebrate: Pop! Bang! Fireworks fill the sky on the Fourth of July. Many people have barbecues and sing patriotic songs like “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Most important of all, this is a day when Americans think about why we are proud of our country.

Think! How would you like to celebrate the Fourth of July?

Symbols of Our CountryA symbol is a picture or object that makes us think of something else. Look for these symbols of our country this summer.

The Statue of Liberty stands for our liberty, or freedom.The bald eagle is another symbol of freedom. You can see it on the quarter!Red, white, and blue are the colors of the American flag.Uncle Sam is a made-up character. He wears a tall hat with stars on it.